

















4.^ ^*. 



*Ao^ 












*A0< 













• • • * . ^:» 



0^^ •I'f' '"^^ 












■»bv' ^ 



o'^ .i.VL'* '> 




"^Ao* 










'j^«b 



/% 















0' 






'bV" 













• "^oV* 






•' *^^* 



.* ." 









^ *•••" .V 



t • ©^ '^(^ 






tt "» T^^kw^ *^ * a ^* ^ ■* » ^fAlL7# 













Historical Sketch ^Joseph Spencer 

Major-General of the Continental Troops, 

Member of the Council of Safety, 

Congressman, Judge, Deputy, 

Deacon, and Farmer 



Compiled by 

Charles Barney Whittlesey 
It 

Historian Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the 

State of Connecticut 







•6 , 



The family records of the Spencer family of East 
Haddam, Conn., state that Joseph Spencer was born in 
East Haddam, October 6, 17 14, and that he died there 
January 13, 1789. 

He was the son of Isaac and Mary (Selden) Spencer 
of that district, and the great-grandson of Jared and 
Hannah Spencer, who were among the first settlers of 
East Haddam in 1662 (Mss. Gene. Rec. of East Had- 
dam families) . 

August 2, 1738, Joseph Spencer married Martha 
Brainerd, by whom he had five children; their fourth 
child, Joseph, became a surgeon and served as such and 
as aid to his father in the Revolution. 

He married 2d, Hannah (Brown) Southmayd, by 
whom he had eight children (Mss. Gene. Rec. of East 
Haddam families). 

Without the advantages of a school education, Joseph 
Spencer acquired that general knowledge and acquaint- 
ance with business which enabled him to discharge hap- 
pily and usefully the various duties to which he was 
called. 

March 14, 1746, he joined the church of the Mill- 
ington Society, and was elected a deacon November 20, 
1767. He was excused from such service during the 
Revolution; was re-elected April 4, 1788, and retained 
this office until his death (Statistical Account of Mid- 
dlesex Co., p. 81) . 

The peace of Utrecht in 17 13 put an end to a deso- 
lating war with the French and Indians, and during 
the next thirty years but few events of importance 
occurred in the Colonies. In 1744 "King George 
War " broke out between France and England, and at 
once brought the Colonists into hostile relations. At 



the time of the crisis in 1746-7, when the frontier Hne 
from Boston to Albany became no longer tenable, we 
find Joseph Spencer had carefully followed the situa- 
tion; he had enlisted in the trainband, and on January 
28, 1746-7, received his first appointment by the Gen- 
eral Assembly, at New Haven, as Lieutenant of the 
company or trainband of the parish of Millington (Col. 
Rec, Vol. IX, p. 375). 

A treaty of peace was concluded October 7, 1748. 
By its stipulations the British and French mutually gave 
up whatever territory each had taken, and the vigorous 
effort of the New Englanders, thus rendered useless 
(Garneau) . 

At the close of the war, Joseph Spencer turned his 
thoughts again to his home and the local affairs. He 
had been brought up under a strict religious discipline, 
trained to realize that the growth of the Colony, as well 
as his own possessions, depended upon his individual 
efforts. 

The strong but loving influence of his parents was 
deeply impressed upon this young man, as is show^n 
throughout his life; his spirit was never daunted, even 
under the most trying circumstances. He w^ould never 
allow that the most difficult undertakings could not be 
accomplished; his failures spurred him onward and 
upward. 

In 1750 he was appointed Deputy from East Had- 
dam to the Legislature, and at each meeting of the 
General Assembly he was reappointed consecutively for 
fourteen years (Colony Records, Vols. X to XIII). 

From the autumn of 1753 until his death he was 
Judge of Probate for the District of East Haddam 
(Statistical Account of Middlesex Co., p. 81). 

Then there arose the Seven-Year War, over the dis- 
pute between the French and English as to the owner- 
ship of the territory bordering on the Ohio; 1753 the 
French seized British traders and fort, which was fol- 
lowed by Colonel Washington's attack, capture of 



Jumonville and his men, the battle of Great Meadows, 
General Braddock's defeat, the battle at Lake George, 
the third expedition against Crown Point, in which the 
Virginia, New York, and New England troops all took 
part. 

Joseph Spencer was deeply interested in the reports 
of the trials and sufferings of his countrymen, and in- 
creased the amount of his time given to local military 
affairs, and by his intense interest and devotion had 
risen from Lieutenant to Captain, and was appointed 
Major of the Twelfth Regiment of this Colony, in the 
Northern Army, by the Colonial Assembly, Thursday, 
October 13, 1757 (Col. Rec, Vol. XI, p. 68). 

In March, 1758, as Major of the Second Regiment, 
and Captain of the Third Company, under Colonel 
Nathan Whiting, participated with his regiment in the 
invasion of Canada (Col. Rec, Vol. XI, p. 96), the 
expedition against Louisburg, Ticonderoga, and Crown 
Point. 

In 1759 he received from the General Assembly his 
appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel of the Second Regi- 
ment, under Colonel Nathan Whiting (Col. Rec, Vol. 
XI, p. 226-354; Vol. XII, p. 249), and served as such 
during the siege of Quebec, and succeeding years until 
his appointment in May, 1766, Colonel of the Twelfth 
Regiment, during which he was also appointed a mem- 
ber of the Governor's Council (Col. Rec, Vol. XII, 
p. 459: Cyclopedia U. S. History, Tossing, Vol. II, 

P- 1330)- 

Colonel Spencer served from 1766 to 1780 as the 

assistant to the Deputy Governor (Col. Rec, Vol. 
XIII). He was appointed by the Legislature at the 
special April session, 1775, First Brigadier-General of 
the Regiments then ordered for " the safety of the 
Colony " ; he was also appointed Colonel of the Second 
Regiment, and his commission was dated May i, 1775. 
He marched with his regiment, by order of the Legis- 
lature, to the camp forming around Boston, and took 



post at Roxbury. During the siege of Boston he com- 
manded a brigade of four regiments, including his own, 
with Parsons and Huntington, in General Ward's di- 
vision at Roxbury (Conn. Men in R., p. 37). 

At the special April session, 1775, Israel Putnam was 
appointed by the Legislature Second Brigadier-General 
and also Colonel of the Third Regiment. By order of 
the Legislature, his regiment marched to the camp 
forming around Boston and took post at Cambridge, 
senior officer present (Conn. Men in R., p. 37). 

At a meeting July 13, 1775, of Governor Jonathan 
Trumbull and his Council, his Honor the Governor laid 
before the Council a letter to General Washington, 
containing the following: 

" I have to observe to your Excellency, that the Hon- 
orable Congress have altered the arrangement of the 
Generals appointed by our Assembly. We wish the 
order we adopted had been pursued, and fear Generals 
Wooster and Spencer will think they have reasons to 
complain. They are gentlemen held in high estimation 
by our Assembly, and by the officers and troops under 
their command. There are reasons to fear that incon- 
veniences will arise from the alterations, made by the 
Congress, in the rank and relation of those Generals; 
at the same time they have the highest sense of General 
Putnam's singular merit and services" (Mss. Col., 5 
series. Vol. X). 

" Two of the Council, Samuel Huntington and Wil- 
liam Williams, were appointed to wait upon General 
Spencer at Gray's, the tavern where he had just arrived, 
and confer with him on the subject-matter of his dis- 
satisfaction, etc., and endeavor to remove, etc., and rec- 
oncile him to cheerfully pursue the service, which he 
did accordingly. 

" In the afternoon of the same day they met again at 
the Governor's, where General Spencer attended, and 
had a long conference with him on the subject-matter of 
being superseded by the General Congress, putting 



General Israel Putnam above him, etc., which he thinks 
is very hard and results, etc., and is at length persuaded 
to return to the army, and not at present quit the serv- 
ice as he proposed. 

" General Spencer set out on his return to camp with 
the letters to General Washington" (Am. Archives, 
4th series. Vol. II, p. 1658). 

One hundred and twenty-nine years ago today (June 
22, 1775), Colonel Joseph Spencer was appointed 
Brigadier-General of Continental Establishment, by the 
Continental Congress, at the instance of General Wash- 
ington. 

General Spencer's Second Regiment was raised on the 
first call for troops by the Legislature in April-May, 
1775, and was recruited mainly in present Middlesex 
County. The General with detachments of officers and 
men engaged at the battle of Bunker Hill, June 17th, 
and in Arnold's Quebec expedition, Sept.-Dec, 1775 ; it 
served until expiration of service, December, 1775, 
and accompanied the troops to New York, the next field 
of operations, and assisted in fortifying the city and 
vicinity. 

August 9, 1776, General Spencer was promoted to 
Major-General of the Continental Army, and given 
command of a division composed of Parsons' and Wads- 
worth's Connecticut Brigades. He was present at Long 
Island at time of the battle August 27th, half of his 
division being engaged; present at White Plains Octo- 
ber 25th, and on December 14th was ordered eastward, 
and took command in Rhode Island, which was sur- 
rounded by Admiral Sir Peter Parker's forces. Gen- 
eral Spencer remained in command through 1777. 

He organized an expedition of about nine thousand 
State troops against the enemy at Newport, and on 
October 26, 1777, attempted a forward movement, but 
the weather and failure of one brigade to report in time 
caused miscarriage of the plan. 

Jonathan Trumbull, in a letter dated December 2, 



i777» to General Washington, wrote the following rela- 
tive to the affair: "The expedition to Newport hath 
unhappily failed. An inquiry hath been made into the 
reasons. General Spencer was exculpated. A Briga- 
dier Palmer failed in his duty. The enemy were medi- 
tating an attack on Bedford, and had actually embarked 
troops, which were prevented by this." 

General Spencer invited a court of inquiry and pro- 
posed another effort. Exonerated by the court Novem- 
ber 15, 1777, Congress on December 11, 1777, ordered 
an investigation. 

• General Spencer resigned December 20th following, 
and on January 13, 1778, Congress accepted the resig- 
nation, " for the reasons offered by him in his letter of 
the 20th." (Copy of letter, pages 7-1 1.) 

February 12, 1778, General Spencer was elected a 
member of the Council of Safety for this State (Vol. I, 
Rec. of State, p. 537) ; May, 1779, appointed First 
Major-General of the Connecticut Militia, succeeding 
Major-General Jabez Huntington, resigned (429 Conn. 
Mss. in R.) ; the same year was appointed Delegate to 
Congress by the General Court; 1780 he was elected to 
the State Council and held that position until his death 
(Cyclop, of U. S. History, Lossing, Vol. II, p. 1330). 

Thus it is seen that the eminent patriot General 
Joseph Spencer was engaged in the service of his country 
from as early as he was able to bear arms until he died 
at the ripe age of seventy-five years. 



The letter of General Joseph Spencer to President 
George Washington and the Continental Congress. 

Dated : 

Providence Dec^ 20th 1777 
Sir 

Permit me to Lay before Your Honor, & the Honorable Congress a 
further Account of the difficulties, that have attended the support of 
this Army, and that still subsist here relative thereto — when I Arrived 
here the ist of January last, and untill some time in August, there was 
in this State A Regulating Act, fixing the prices of the Articles Neces- 
sary to support the Army and while that Act continued in force, my 
Quarter Master was enabled by this State to take by impress such 
Articles as was Necessary for the subsistance of the Army, provided he 
could not obtain them by purchase at the stated prices: when I was 
informed that, that Act was Repealed on the 25th of August I made 
application to the Council of War, to know what provision was, or 
would be made by the State for the Supply of the Army, (as the Regu- 
lating Act was Repealed) in case the Necessary Articles could not be 
obtained by purchase at a reasonable rate, and not Receiving any 
Written Answer for some time, on the 12th of September I wrote again 
on the same subject, to the Council of War, a Copy of which I enclose, 
and on the 15th rec^ the Council's Answer a Copy of which I also 
enclose, by this Resolve of Council, my right to supply the Army with 
Necessaries by impress, giving the Owners a Reasonable price for the 
Articles taken seemed to be granted, provided I could not obtain them 
by purchase, but then the very difficult and important question, what 
was a reasonable price was left solely to me to decide, in this Situation 
I thought it would be the most prudent and safe way for me to Instruct 
my Quarter Master, to purchase what he could at the prices we had 
formerly given, and what he could not obtain at that price he must 
take by Impress, paying at the present what was formerly allowed, 
with Assurance to the Owners, that a Representation of the matter 
should be made to Congress, and that on hearing the case Your Honors 
would doubtless allow what was Just and right; on these terms the 
Quarr Master supplyed the Army untill the beginning of Nov^ altho: 



8 

not without some Complaint amongst the people; Then the Council of 
War Mannifested their unwillingness to have the Army Supply'd in 
any other way, than giving the Common prices to the Owners for them, 
and were desirous that I should take it on myself to supply the Army in 
that way, and run the risk of the approbation of the Accounts, which 
I declined to undertake, without some aid and Assistance from them, 
as it appeared to me that it was very uncertain, wheather we could 
long obtain Necessary Articles for any sum of Bills, as the contempt 
of them was daily increasing, and also I apprehended it was too 
dangerous a Matter for me to Risk the settlements and approbation of 
such Exorbitant accounts, as I must have to settle, if I supply'd in 
that way; The Council then by their Resolve of the last of October 
Ordered that I should be requested to give Orders for purchasing such 
Necessary Articles as the Army in this State required, at the most rea- 
sonable prices, at which they could be procured, and if their should be 
any deduction made in the settlement of those Accounts, the s^ State 
would pay what was deducted ; since which the Quarter Master has 
supplyed agreeable to the direction of said Resolve ; The Quarter 
Master has given a list of the prices of a few of the principle Articles 
at which they have been procured since Ocf, and also of the price 
they ware set at in the State Bill or regulating Act. which I enclose. 
Your Honors from This Representation will please to direct what 
further Allowance shall be given for the Articles rec^ for the Use of the 
Army, on the Conditions above Mentioned from the 15th of September 
to the last of Octi"; the prices of the Articles procured for the support 
of the Army, being three or four times as much as they were untill the 
repeal of the Regulating Act, it now takes such enormus sums of Cash 
to supply a little Army, by reason of which and other disappointments, 
we are now reduced to Extreem want of Cash in this Army. — when I 
reed the Resolve of Congress of the iS^h July, directing me to apply to 
Mr Hancock D.y. Pay Master for Cash; I imedeately made Application 
to him Accordingly, but by reason of one Obstacle or another, I have 
never to this time been able to obtain from M^ Hancock for the Use of 
this Army but about Twenty Thousand Dollars, and none until the 
beginning of Nov., which was brought by M^ John Adams M^ 
Hancocks Assistant, Mr Adams then informed me, that he would come 
again at any time that I should appoint, giving him a few days Notice, 
and that he expected soon a supply, of Cash, Mr Adams also desired me 
to give Orders to the several Commanders of Regts to be ready with 
their pay Rolls at the time I set for him to come, and on the i6tli of 
Nov. I wrote to M^ Adams to be at Providence the 9*^^ of Dec^ for the 
purpose of paying the Troops and supplying- the Army with Cash, I 



9 

also directed the several commanders of Regts to be ready with their 
Pay Abstracts, properly prepared to receive their pay as the pay Master 
would be here by that time, which preparation they Accordingly made, 
and several of them came twenty miles for the purpose of receiving 
their pay, and the very day Mi' Adams was expected to pay the Troops, I 
reed to ray very great and distressing disappointment, a Letter from him, 
dated the 4th Deci" Informing that he had no Cash but what was needed 
at Boston, a Copy of which I enclose, since which I have Rec^ nothing 
further from the pay Master and I am at present put to Extreem 
difficulty for want of Cash, as the Treasury of this State from whence 
I used to borrow is exhausted, and I am informed their is no Cash to 
be had in either of the adjacent States, I have informed Mr Hancock 
that in my Oppinion he ought to let us have a part of the Cash he 
receives, if there is not Enough for the supply of the Troops at each 
Department; could I have had a reasonable proportion of the Cash, 
Ml" Hancock has reed it would have given considerable satisfaction, 
but to be totally Neglected ; unless there is more than is wanted for the 
Troops in and about Boston Affords us Just Matter of Complaint. — I 
Esteem it my duty as a Commander to give it as my Opinion to your 
Honors for the safety of this State in particular and the United States 
in General, it is Necessary that this Army should be more carefully 
attended to; there has been for a Year past a very Considerable Army 
of the Enemy in this State, the Summer past, and untill the present 
time — By indisputable Accounts, the Enemy have been 3600 Strong, 
Besides the Tory Troops, and Marines belonging to the Ships in the 
Harbour, with which they are near 4,000; there is now (mostly 
Arrived within a few Days) twenty Ships and Sloops of War, and 9 
or 10 of them of the Line, the Enemy doubtless design to keep Possession 
of the Island of Rhode Island while the Contest Continues ; they can 
make a very Considerable Army, with their Land and sea force, and it 
will be a Wonder if they should continue very Long without laying 
some part of this Country Waste, it will not give us Security that they 
will not for the future destroy any part of the Country, because they 
have done so little Mischief the Year past, they have doubtless several 
times heretofore had it in Contemplation to make a desent on the Main, 
but have never put it in Execution, in any considerable degree, once 
they landed in North Kingston with a party of 2 or 300 Men, but were 
drove off, without doing much damage, and we have full Evidence 
that a Considerable Number Embarked with a design to make a 
landing some where, but the place uncertain; on the Night of the 16*!^ 
of Octr but hearing by a Deserter from us that Night, that our Army 
designed a descent on the Island the same Night, they disembarked, 



10 

the Evidence of this we had not only from Deserters and Prisoners, but 
found a Return of 390 of the 43d Regt that Embarked that Night on 
board the Ships, amongst the papers taken in the Syren Frigate, that 
run on shore at Point Judith. On the whole, I think prudence requires 
that an Army should constantly be kept up here for defence, of at 
least 4,000 Men, and this I understand has been the Opinion of a 
Committee of the New England States, that lately took the Matter in 
Consideration — the Army which has been here since may, in General 
Including Officers, and also the sick, on an Everage (without regard 
to those Call'd in Ocf for the designed Expedition), amounts to about 
2400 Men, as will appear by the Monthly returns sent to the Hon'ble 
Board of War by this Express — There is in the Army here at 
present about 22,00 Men 8,00 of them from the state of Massachusetts 

— and from New Hampshire 260 — the times of the Massachusetts and 
& N Hampshires are out the first of Jany. — the rest of this Army are 
of this State — Connectticut have sent none here (except those for the 
design of making an attempt on Rhode Island) since last May: the calls 
on them from the Westward & Northward and for guards on their own 
shores have been so great — The state of the Massachusetts as I have 
been informed Design to send 15,00 men, but I fear they will not be 
here timely, to replace those whose times are soon out — This State have 
Ordered in one quarter part of their Militia : but it is Esteem'd and 
indeed is Excessively hard upon them — They have paid their own 
Troops, Except about 500 from the beginning — 

I beg to observe that from the above State of Facts, it Appears to me 
very Necessary for the support and Encouragement, of A Necessary 
Army for Defence to be kept up in this State — that a pay Master should 
be appointed to reside Constantly here: there would be a full Employ 
for one; and that he should be supply'd by your Honors Orders with 
sufficient Quantities of Cash, for the support and pay of the Army — 
as it is of greater importance to have this Army Encouraged and 
supplyed, than one, more remote from the Enemy — Major Spencer 
who has served with me some time as Aid-De-Camp will Convey this 

— to whom I beg leave to refer your Honors for more perfect Intel- 
igence with relation to Matters at this Post. — he has an extract of the 
doings of the Court of Enquiry mentioned in my last, relative to the 
failure of the expedition formed Against the Island of Rhode Island, 
by which I think it appears that it did not fail by reason of any 
Misconduct or want of zeal in me. — 

Permit me after Making the above Repres'entation to Acknowledge 
that the Difficulties attending the Command of this department, Requires 
a Commander of greater Abilities, and in the Bloom and Vigour of 



II 

life: and that I Earnestly entreat your Honors that such a person may 
be Ordered to Relieve me, and that I may have the Opportunity to settle 
my Accounts Relative to my Command: and have your Honors leave to 
resign my Office. — Your Honors will please to inform wheather I am 
intitled to the Allowance of a Separate Command or not. 
I have the Honor to be with all due 

Respect 

Your Honors Most 

Obedt & Mo hble serv. 

Jos. Spencer. 
Hon'ble Congress 
Endorsed : 

Letter from Gen Spencer 
20 Deer 1777 — read Jany 7. 1778 
referred to the board of war 



HARTFORD PRESS 

The Case, Lockwood & Brainard Co. 

1904 



W@4 



*06V 



L^ 



H<\< 



1 

1 

\ 
\ 


^ 









^o^ '- 



1- ^t. .1 



0^ V^^'\^*' 'o^*^'-*/ V^^*'y 



>. -: 



o, ♦/TVi^ A 



/ ^^^% 






!»> ..^'•.^^-. 



^"/^K.- J'yJ^^\''^^ 



-^ o'--'. 









; *i °-. 



j?^*. 










v;* /► 




^ .•••."*; 




:. ^ .-«' .♦ 




»Pv 







*. «,. ..* /. 


















••. % 







o^ 'o . * * A 






lpv% 



. ^^--^^ V 



• • 



.^_ * 


















••- ^-^ 



















c-o.* 



■RT^OQKBnWDING 






c>». *. 















\r> * « . T • /v 






